A DIVERSITY OF THANKS : Contrasting Practices for 2 Afghan Families

A steaming bowl of qhabli , brown rice topped with raisins and carrots, sits next to the turkey on the Niazi family’s Thanksgiving table in Canoga Park every year--a hint of Afghanistan in an otherwise American feast.

But across the San Fernando Valley at the Sayed household in Van Nuys, there is no turkey, no stuffing and no cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving. Instead, the main dish is lamb kabobs and rice.

“We cannot find halal turkey in the market,” said Farida Sayed, 34, who lives with her parents and two younger brothers. “I guess we could go kill one on our own, but nobody has bothered.”

These two Afghan families have lived in this country for different lengths of time--the Niazis 14 years, the Sayeds seven. But their different religious practices and traditions, more than their familiarity with American culture, dictate their Thanksgiving menus.

The Sayeds eat only meat that has been prepared according to Muslim codes, which usually means avoiding poultry, since halal poultry is hard to find, Farida Sayed said. Although the Niazis are also Muslim, they eat all meats except pork.

Despite the varied menus, Thanksgiving for both the Sayeds and the Niazis is a family day.

About 20 relatives, including an aunt, a grandmother and cousins, gather at the Sayeds’ apartment, bringing meat and rice dishes native to Afghanistan.

The Niazis host about 30 relatives including uncles, cousins and grandparents at their house in Canoga Park, gathering for the meal shortly after the noon prayer. They top off the feast with Afghan tea, baklava and rice pudding alongside the pumpkin pie.

For both families, who came to America to escape the political turmoil in Afghanistan, it is the gathering of relatives--not the historical significance of Thanksgiving--that makes the day different than any other.

“We just celebrate it as a meal, not with meaning like the Americans do,” said Nahid Niazi, a senior at Canoga Park High School, who was 2 years old when her family immigrated to the United States. “We have other holidays that are more important to us.”

As part of their religion, the two families pray to give thanks five times every day and celebrate two Muslim feasts during the year. American Thanksgiving is more a time when friends and relatives can see each other.

“We never thought of the holiday meaning or not meaning anything,” Farida Sayed said. “The holiday comes and we get together.”